Hilkiah … Tebaliah … Zechariah …: These names continue the list of Hosah’s sons from verse 10. All three sons listed here have longer forms of their names in the Hebrew text: “Hilkiyahu,” “Tebalyahu,” and “Zecharyahu.”

All the sons and brethren of Hosah were thirteen: In addition to Hosah’s four sons, there were nine unnamed relatives who were gatekeepers. Good News Translation and Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje here make it explicit that these thirteen were “Temple guards.” While this information is only implicit in the original text, there may be other languages where it will be advisable to make it explicit.

Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation follow the form of the Hebrew by giving the parenthetical information about Shimri in verse 10 before naming the three other sons of Hosah in verse 11. However, it may be better to combine and restructure verses 10-11. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch provides one possible model for doing this as follows:

• From the clan of Merari came Hosah. He had four sons: Shimri, Hilkiah, Tebaliah and Zechariah. Even though Shimri was not the firstborn, his father made him the leader of the work group. Altogether thirteen sons and close relatives belonged to Hosah’s family.

Contemporary English Version gives another model that combines these two verses:

• Hosah, from the Merari clan, was the father of Shimri, Hilkiah, Tebaliah, and Zechariah. Hosah had made Shimri the family leader, even though he was not the oldest son. Thirteen men from Hosah’s family were chosen to be temple guards.

Such restructuring may be required in a number of other languages since it may be unnatural to break up the list of Hosah’s sons.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .